What Could Have Been, M Version
by creelluka
Summary: Mainly Harmione pairing, eventual Romione. Snippets of what could have been if Harry and Hermione had feelings for each other, Scenes from HPB and DH, along with my interpretations of some things. Mostly Movie compliant, some book compliant. Rated T version titled 'What Could Have Been, T Version'
1. Chapter 1: Year Six, the beginning, M

**First Chapter is exactly like Rated T version, look for bolded section in chapter 2 for the only difference. This is only rated M because I'm paranoid, it's not even graphic, just heavily implied, and barely there at all, anyway, I hope you like it?**

 **I was watching HBP a while ago and the first section is something Dumbledore said that got me thinking, and so this was born! It's almost completely snippets from HPB (chapter 1) and DH (Chapter 2) in Harry and Hermione's POV, I haven't marked what is directly from the books or movies because that would just be too much, and I pretty much summarized everything that happens with a few things that I interpreted as certain thoughts or feelings. This took a lot of work and I should be studying for my Econ Midterm, but here you go, please enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing** **you recognize, all recognizable content belongs to Queen J.K. Rowling**

 **~Creelluka**

* * *

"What about your activities outside the classroom?"

"Sir?" Harry wondered what Dumbledore was referring to, Quidditch hadn't begun yet so it wasn't that.

"Well, I notice that you spend a great deal of time with Miss Granger. I can't help wondering if…" Dumbledore trailed off (meaningfully?)

"Oh, no, no. I mean, she's brilliant, and we're friends, but, no." Harry shook his head.

"Forgive me. I was merely being curious."

* * *

Ever since that brief conversation with the Headmaster about Hermione, Harry had begun to think. Did he really spend that much time with Hermione, wasn't Ron usually with them, too? But Ron had been spending all of his free time practicing for Quidditch tryouts, Harry had hardly seen him except at meals and classes. And Harry thought of Hermione as a sister, she was the one who nagged him about homework and Ginny. Ginny was who Harry liked, but she was dating Dean, and Seamus before that, and that Michael bloke from DA before that. Hermione had listened to him complain about Ginny's line of boyfriends and had talked to him about other things to take his mind off of both Ginny and Sirius.

* * *

During the Quidditch tryouts, Harry had kept on glancing towards the stands whenever the players switched out, it was only a passing glance when Ginny was throwing the Quaffle at McLaggen that Harry saw Hermione cover her mouth, most probably to cough, it was cold outside and Hermione always got a cold when the weather first started to worsen. But then McLaggen jerked four feet to the left of the hoop just as Ginny threw the Quaffle, McLaggen's loss of control probably had to do with the giant broom he was using, it had been a coincidence that Hermione had coughed just before it happened.

* * *

Ron, Harry, and Hermione were sitting in front of the fireplace in the Gryffindor Common Room, Ron on the couch, reliving the earlier Quidditch Tryouts, and Harry and Hermione on either side of Ron, sitting on the floor leaning their backs against the worn couch.

"Have you ever heard of this spell?" Harry asked Hermione, showing her his Potions book. "Sectumsempra?"

"No, I haven't," She said vehemently. "And if you had a shred of self-respect, you'd hand that book in."

Ron started in, defended Harry, lauding about him being at the top of the class, better than her. She glared at Ron.

When Hermione tried to see whom the book belonged to, Harry stood up and backed away as she advanced on him. Ginny snatched the book out of Harry's hand and read aloud.

"It says: 'This book is property of the Half-blood Prince.'"

* * *

On the first Hogsmeade trip of the year, Harry had to watch Ginny and Dean practically necking in a corner of the Three Broomsticks.

"I'd like to leave." Ron grimaced.

"What? You can't be serious." Hermione asked.

"That happens to be my sister!"

"So?" Hermione argued. "What if she looked over here and saw you snogging me, or Harry and I? You expect her to leave?" Harry was shocked, why would Hermione have mentioned the two of them snogging? He knew that Hermione liked Ron, so why mention Harry about snogging?

Slughorn passed by just then so Harry pushed those thoughts away and waved at the potions professor who came over to their table and invited Hermione and him to his Slug Club party.

Hermione drank her Butterbeer while Ron and Harry discussed Harry's sucking up, they both looked at her for her opinion and she put her drink down, but before she could speak the boys pointed at their faces.

"Got a little bit…" Ron started to say. Hermione frowned, then blushed when she realized that she had a Butterbeer mustache, she hurriedly wiped it away with her sleeve, hoping she hadn't had it when talking to Professor Slughorn.

Harry and Ron grinned and guzzled their own Butterbeer, soon displaying foam mustaches of their own.

* * *

Harry had taken to watching Malfoy on the Marauder's Map since Katie had been cursed by that necklace, and he was doing it again one night in bed when Ron started up another conversation about Ginny and Dean, asking what Harry supposed Dean saw in Ginny.

"She's smart, funny, attractive," Harry said distractedly.

"Attractive?

"You know, she's got nice skin." But then Harry wasn't thinking about Ginny, he realized that he had just described Hermione.

"Skin? Dean dates my sister because of her skin?"

Harry defended his skin comment.

"Hermione's got nice skin," Ron said. "Wouldn't you say? As skin goes, I mean."

"I've never really thought about it,"Harry replied. "But I suppose, yeah. Very nice."

Both boys were quiet.

"I think I'll be going to sleep now." Harry shuffled the Map closed.

"Right. Yeah." Ron agreed.

Harry had noticed Hermione's skin, and it was all Dumbledore's fault. Harry hadn't seen Hermione as anything other than one of his best friends until Dumbledore had implied that there was something between the two of them at their first meeting about Voldemort. Now he had noticed that Ginny's skin was a bit spotty while Hermione's was smooth and creamy pink. Damn Dumbledore.

* * *

At Slughorn's first party, he had taken to asking everyone about their apparently influential family members, when Slughorn got to Hermione, Harry paid special attention, knowing that the others might become critical of Hermione's Muggleborn status.

"My parents are dentists." Everyone at the table looked at Hermione, Harry looked back, daring them to say anything.

"They tend to people's teeth."

When Slughorn asked if it was dangerous, Hermione launched into an anecdote about a boy who had one bit her father's hand, resulting in her father needing medical attention. everyone at the table once again stared at Hermione but were soon distracted by Ginny coming in late.

* * *

When Luna observed Harry 'slipping Ron the Liquid Luck' right before the first Quidditch game and asked him about it, Hermione had instantly started in on Harry,

"You could be expelled for that!" She hissed.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Harry defended, winking subtly at her, Hermione scoffed at him.

She knew what Harry was doing, trying to get Ron's spirits up. She decided she might as well play along.

* * *

After the match, in which Gryffindor won, of course, Hermione got a chance to confront Harry.

"You really shouldn't have done that," She said.

"I know," Harry replied. "I suppose I could've just used a Confundus Charm," He smirked.

Hermione instantly defended herself, citing that it hadn't been an actual game when she had sabotaged McLaggen.

They looked up at the celebrations just in time to see Lavender pull Ron towards her and start snogging. The entire House cheered, except for Hermione, who felt like someone had punched her in the chest. She turned away and dashed for the portrait hole. Harry looked back at Hermione and spotted her right before the portrait closed, his happiness for his first friend faded when he remembered how she must have been feeling.

Harry found her sitting on some steps in a dusty, abandoned room with small birds flying around her. He sat down next to her and praised her Charms work.

"How does it feel, Harry?" Hermione asked, her voice catching. "When you see Dean with Ginny? I know. I see the way you look at her," Hermione was sniffling now and her eyes were tearing up. "You're my best friend."

Harry's thoughts were whirling, she thought of them as best friends, was that it?

Giggling echoed through the stone walls and carried to them, Lavender and Ron burst into the room, obviously looking for somewhere private to do some 'celebrating.'

"Oops," Lavender chirped, looking between Ron and Harry and Hermione. "I think this room's taken." She giggled and dashed out of the room leaving Ron.

"What's with the birds?" Ron asked, obviously not sensing the tension.

Hermione stood up and glared at Ron, before saying, "Oppugno."

The circling birds dove at Ron and started pecking savagely at him. Ron glared at them through the birds and ran out, the birds smacking and dissipating against the door slammed behind him.

Hermione sobbed and slumped down next to Harry again who held her arm as she leaned on his shoulder and cried.

"It feels like this," Harry said quietly, referring to her earlier question.

Harry kissed the top of her head and held her quietly. They sat there for a long time, until finally Hermione stopped crying and started hiccuping instead and they were both cold and cramped from sitting for so long, Harry stood up and helped Hermione to her feet.

"I'm really sorry, Harry," Hermione apologized. "You didn't have to stay."

"Nonsense, you're my best friend, 'Mione, I wasn't going to let you cry alone." Harry pulled her into a hug and they stood there for a few moments, comforting each other.

Harry pulled back to give Hermione a brotherly kiss on the cheek. Hermione pulled back as well and turned to face Harry.

Harry's lips touched the corner of Hermione's mouth and Harry immediately stepped away. they both froze and looked at each other, startled and afraid.

"I-I didn't mean to," Harry stammered, trying to explain. "I was going to kiss your cheek but-"

"I know, Harry, it's alright," Hermione reassured him. "We should probably get back, I'm a bit tired."

"Erm, yeah, I'm just gonna stay here a bit longer, you go on ahead," Harry muttered. "G'night, 'Mione, see you in the morning."

Hermione left, leaving Harry to sprawl back on the steps, hands scrubbing his face. Why did every girl he kissed have to be crying?

He remembered how her skin had felt in that moment his lips touched the edge of hers, it had been so soft.

* * *

When Hermione left Harry and was up in her bed with the curtains drawn and a pillow over her face, muffling the sounds of the celebrations still going on in the Common Room below, she thought about what had just happened.

Lavender was a cow, Lavender knew Hermione fancied Ron, Lavender had better hope she didn't get paired with Hermione in the next DADA class. Harry _kissed_ her.

Although he had been aiming for her cheek and it was technically her fault that he missed, Harry kissed her.

And his lips had been soft.

And Ron and Lavender were together now.

And Harry had kissed her and he surely had only been comforting her.

And Harry had been her first kiss.

And Viktor Krum had only kissed her hand a cheek.

And Harry had kissed her on the lips. Kind of.

* * *

Harry followed Hermione around the library as she put books back, listening to her rant about Ron and Slughorn's Christmas Party. Each had buried their 'sort of kiss' in the back of their minds, pretending it hadn't happened.

When Hermione said she'd had to make other arrangements in inviting someone to the party, Harry had brought up that they should go together as friends since they couldn't go with whom they'd each like to. Though both inwardly noticed Harry's phrasing of 'as friends' and kicked themselves.

And when Hermione pointed out Romilda Vane to Harry, explaining that she was trying to slip him a love potion, she smacked him playfully with the parchment in her hand when Harry got cheeky.

* * *

At Slughorn's party, Harry grinned when he saw Hermione slip behind some opaque curtains, obviously trying to hide from someone, he joined her. Hermione told him about leaving Cormac under the mistletoe and Harry was reminded of the Yule Ball and Viktor Krum back in fourth year. She was dressed just as nicely, and he vaguely noticed her cleavage when she crossed her arms, which was quite a nice view. . . Harry snapped into focus and luckily Hermione hadn't seen him well, ogling her.

Hermione grabbed the entire platter of Dragon tartare in the hopes that it would keep McLaggen away and hastily made her escape just as Cormac came to speak with Harry.

* * *

When Hermione saw Lavender's heart written with the heat of her breath on the compartment window on the ride to Platform 9 ¾ for Christmas holiday and ran off, Harry wanted to go after her, but against his better judgment, stayed with Ron to discuss Unbreakable Vows. He'd talk to Hermione at the Platform, he promised himself.

* * *

Harry didn't get a chance to talk to Hermione in all the hustle and bustle but managed to shout that he'd owl her.

* * *

At the Burrow Harry argued with Remus about Snape, and when Ginny fed Harry a sweet, he had to remind himself that she was with Dean, Harry wanted to both thank Ron, and punch him when he interrupted their moment. Harry had to control himself once again when Ginny appeared in her dressing robe and bent to tie his shoelace. he had to keep repeating: _she's with Dean, she's with Dean, she's with Dean_ like a mantra, and when she stood up and said Merry Christmas they inched ever closer like they might kiss and Harry would have done it if he hadn't suddenly thought of Hermione, and Dean and if he found out he would be just as upset as Hermione had been and Harry really didn't want to do that to one of his friends and dorm mate. Also at that moment, a circle of fire surrounded the Burrow, and Bellatrix landed in front of the house, appearing from black smoke.

And when the Burrow was destroyed, Harry was just as stunned and heartbroken as the rest of the Weasley's because it felt almost as much a home as Hogwarts did.

Harry never owled Hermione.

* * *

Back at Hogwarts Lavender became even more clingy to Ron, and Hermione had turned bitter once again at 'Won-Won' and 'Lav-Lav.'

On Ron's birthday he ate the box of chocolates Romilda had given Harry, thinking they were his and was strongly affected by the Love Potion, Harry took him to Professor Slughorn, who accidentally poisoned Ron, leading to probably the worst birthday Ron had ever had, which was made even worse when he unintentionally broke up with Lavender in his sleep by saying Hermione's name, which of course pleased Hermione to no great length as she held Ron's hand while he healed. When Hermione looked at Harry from Ron's bedside, they both felt that what could have happened between them, if they had actually kissed properly, had passed, It was probably for the best, as well, so Harry tried to let it go, burying in his mind. It seemed like everything would be normal from then on,

* * *

When Harry and Ginny finally kissed in the Room of Requirement, after she had broken up with Dean, though with Harry's accidental help from Felix Felicis, and Harry almost killing Malfoy in the bathroom, it again seemed like everything would work out.

* * *

Then Dumbledore was killed by Snape, Death Eaters terrorized the school, and Harry broke up with Ginny in order to protect her. Hermione and Ron weren't together but might as well have been, and always by his side, they insisted on going with him to find Voldemort's Horcruxes.

* * *

 **End of chapter 1, 2 will be up almost immediately.**

 **Update: I don't bite you know, I'm one of the nicest people I know, don't be afraid to drop a review, let me know if you like it or not? It's kind of discouraging when over 100 people have read this and no one has told me they liked it or not, even a simple yes or no would suffice :) ? (Even if it's after 2016 I still plan on being here)**

 **~Creelluka**


	2. Chapter 2: Year Seven, the end, M

**Chapter 2: Exactly the same as the T version except for the bolded part.**

 **Update: A really good video to watch is '101 Reasons to Ship Harry & Hermione' on YouTube by tennisgirlxoxo**

* * *

When everyone showed up at Privet Drive to take Harry to the rebuilt Burrow, tension was high, everyone knew that there was a very strong likelihood that they would be attacked by Death Eaters and they could die. Ron came in second, after Hagrid, and hugged his best mate, Hermione came in afterward, and hugged Harry as well, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before letting go for the others to enter. Both were reminded by their sort-of kiss last year.

* * *

At Bill and Fleur's wedding, Harry noticed Ron looking heatedly at Hermione and knew his friend was starting to have real feelings for Hermione, Harry himself loved Ginny, but until Voldemort was defeated, he didn't want to put Ginny in any more danger than she was already in. And then the Death Eater's attacked the wedding.

* * *

Then the Death Eaters attacked the coffee shop, and Harry watched as Ron brushed at a smudge on Hermione's face before she Obliviated their attackers and the worker.

* * *

At Grimmauld Place when Harry was trapped in the vision of Draco being forced to torture one of the Death Eaters Hermione had Obliviated earlier, the sound of Hermione's knock on the bathroom door snapped him out of it, And when he woke early the next morning thinking about Dumbledore and Horcruxes, he climbed the stairs to Sirius' room, seeking distraction. Hermione's yelling Harry's name alerted him that she and Ron were awake and searching frantically for him, when he called Hermione up to show her the picture and letter his mother had sent to Sirius, they also found out who R.A.B. was.

* * *

Infiltrating the ministry, Hermione was almost sobbing before she finally produced her patronus, She used the feeling of when she first woke up from being petrified in second year and saw Harry and Ron's faces again.

When Cattermole's wife ran up to Ron and kissed him, she felt a moment of satisfaction of the horrified look on the woman's face when Ron turned back into himself.

* * *

Every time it was her turn to put on that horrid locket, Hermione felt as if it were whispering to her, comparing Ron and Harry to each other, bringing up every mean word Ron had said to her in first year, until he and Harry had rescued her from the troll, every time he blamed her cat of trying to kill his rat in third year, Harry hating her for turning in the Firebolt, Ron hating her for going to the ball with Viktor Krum in fourth year, being the messenger between Harry and Ron when Ron thought harry had entered the Tournament on purpose, Ron and Lavender's entire relationship. Every feeling was revisited as if it were the first time and the doubt stayed with her long after she took it off.

* * *

When Ron left, forcing her to choose between him and Harry, she hated that Ron had made her choose, he should have known that she would have stayed with Harry, they had to find all the Horcruxes. Every horrible thing Ron had said was added to the previous things whenever seh wore the locket.

* * *

Harry watched Hermione cry when Ron left, he knew that Ron had just inadvertently broken her heart, even though they both knew it was the locket's doing, sending feelings of hopelessness. Not knowing if it would help, he stood and walked over to her, holding his hand out while the radio burbled out static music. She took his hand and stood up, letting Harry take off the poisoned necklace and watching as he threw it on the bed. He took both her hands in his and moved them towards the clear space in the middle of the tent, Harry started swinging their hands towards and away from them, twisting to the music. A smile slowly pulled at Hermione and she began dancing to, starting to laugh a bit as Harry twirled her under his arm, then twirling under her arm, they leaned on each other now, dancing slower, swaying in circles mostly as the music faded back into white noise. They pulled back and it was almost like they were back in the abandoned room in sixth year, escaping from Ron and Lavender. They looked at each other and the smiles faded away.

Moving closer again, chest to chest, face to face. lips touched without either aware of having moved, chapped lips, rough whiskers, hot tongues, smooth sliding.

 **Clothes were shed and each was gaunt and thin. They slid against each other, with each other, Together. Gasps and sighs, grunts and cries. Sweat in the cold air and puffs of breath floated up and disappeared.**

 **With a sigh, it ended.**

"It can't happen again," Hermione whispered, "It's why Ron left."

It was funny, Ron's suspicions came true only because he left.

So they didn't let it happen again.

* * *

At Harry's parents graves, Hermione knelt in the snow to conjure a wreath, white flowers blooming in the frigid cold, and they stood there, leaning against each other until they met Bathilda Bagshot, who turned into a snake, and tried to kill Harry.

* * *

While Harry slept, and whimpered, and sometimes cried out, Hermione had to listen to it all while standing guard outside. She dreaded the moment when Harry woke and found that she had accidentally broken his wand.

The few hours that she didn't stand watch, Hermione sat at Harry's bed and held his hand, wiping the sweat from his forehead and neck with a cool rag, and once, near morning, she did the thing they agreed wouldn't happen again. She put her forehead to his and kissed him.

"No. . ." Harry moaned against her lips. Hermione gasped, thinking he was awake, and he was, though barely.

"Harry, it's all right, you're alright!" She cried, shaking his shoulder gently.

he kept moaning and saying 'no' and she kept telling him it was alright until his green eyes finally opened.

* * *

Harry watched the silver, nude, red-eyed version of himself and Hermione snog while Ron stood, seemingly empty, and then he struck, and the locket was destroyed.

* * *

Then Ron returned and with the locket destroyed, and Hermione was furious and she didn't know why, but she was shouting things at Ron and she didn't know what she was saying, and then she was silent for hours, curled up on one of the chairs with her arms wrapped around herself.

* * *

They went to the Lovegoods and learned about the Deathly Hallows, then escaped, and Harry, who always had trouble abstaining from Calling Voldemort by name, slipped up and they were carted off to Malfoy Manor. Hermione was tortured and through it all, she could hear Ron and Harry, though mostly Ron, screaming her name.

She had to help them escape, Harry had to kill Voldemort. But she was screaming and there was a burning and prickling and tingling that wouldn't stop and she was screaming and then it stopped for a moment, and there was only the burning in her arm that radiated out to her fingernails and up to her chest, and there were faint words, and a yell, but it wasn't her. It wasn't her. Harry and Ron were there suddenly, wands somehow in hands, and they were yelling too, though it wasn't like the way she had been, or the other person a moment ago. And then she was jerked upright, s prick at her throat, but she hardly felt it through the other burning numb pain.

A scream, not hers, and she was flung aside, and more pain, all over, and a crushing weight on top of her, and there was another sound of pain, similar to the one from earlier. She was being dragged, large hands, rough, vice-like, and she cried out when it unleashed another wave of burning in her arm. And then she couldn't breathe, but then she could and she finally, blessedly, let darkness cover her eyes.

* * *

Hermione was awake, and there was white gold, and she started squirming, trying to get away. that hair had been there with the pain. But then the voice, coming from the white blonde, it was melodic, and nasally, and feminine.

"Eet es, _moi_ , 'Ermione, Fleur Weasley, _soit en paix_ , be at peace," The voice said quietly.

Hermione settled down again and when she woke later, there was red, red but no black.

" _Harry_ ," the voice that spoke was a whisper, barely heard.

"It's alright, 'Mione, you're safe, we're with Bill and Fleur, Dean went home already, but Luna's here, and Ollivander and the goblin who told Bellatrix," Hermione flinched, "That the sword was a fake," The voice talked. _Harry, what about Harry? Is Harry safe?_

"Harry's alright, he's pretty sad about Dobby, he died while getting us all out, but he's buried near the garden and Harry made a nice headstone," _The voice was Ron. Ron has red hair. Ron is talking to me._

There was a pressure on her hand, the one that wasn't simmering with pain. _Ron must be holding my hand._

"Water," she croaked, and there was a glass rim at her lips and cool water slipping down her throat.

* * *

Plans were made, They would break into the Lestrange's vault and find what the madwoman was so worried about.

* * *

They were flying on the back of a blind dragon, over London and over the countryside clinging to the spinal ridges. They dropped into the black, freezing water and clambered ashore, burns stinging from the water and air. They sat at their new campsite, cleaning their wounds and drinking juice, they ended up laughing hysterically at their escape, breathless and giddy at the acquisition of another Horcrux.

Harry wasn't Harry at that moment, he was Voldemort, and he was furious.

* * *

In Hogsmeade, they were saved by Aberforth Dumbledore, and were secreted away by Neville to Hogwarts and the Room of Requirement. They learned what had happened while they were gone, there wasn't a single person in the room without some kind of bruise or injury.

Harry went with Luna to Ravenclaw Tower to see the Diadem,

Ron blurted something about a bathroom, and dragged Hermione along with him, through another of the randomized exit holes.

Basilisk. Fangs. Ron kept muttering and then the two of them were in the first floor, girls lavatory and Ron was trying to speak Parseltongue at a sink. But then it was an icky slide and a horrid smell was wafting up from the depths.

* * *

Hermione kneeled over the Cup with a fang in her fist, and there was a tar-like substance filling the cup to the brim, and when she looked into it, she saw Harry, lying dead in the forest, and Ron, dead lying on rubble with a giant snake latched onto him. And she stabbed it, because she wouldn't allow her best friends to die, not now, maybe in a hundred years, maybe not even then.

It shrieked, and it sounded like her own screams and so she stabbed it again and it was silent,

* * *

Ron said something about elves and Hermione was kissing him, forgetting everything except the arms around her, and only stopping because Ron pulled away and Harry was looking ill,

* * *

Harry was watching his two best friends kiss and he felt weak, they were in a war, fighting for their lives, and they were snogging.

He also felt a bit jealous, he had once kissed Hermione like that, maybe twice, if the dream he thought was true, really was.

They broke apart when he yelled that they were in a war, and dashed off with him to the Room of Requirement and the Diadem Horcrux.

* * *

Fire was blazing and Malfoy and his goons were screaming, black smoke was choking the air and their lungs, Harry had grabbed Malfoy, Hermione and Ron had grabbed Goyle, the Horcrux and Crabbe were lost to the enchanted fire he had summoned and the two Slytherins were crouched in the corridor crying, their faces as soot-smudged as the Gryffindor's.

* * *

Fred was dead.

Hermione was crying.

Harry was crying.

Ron was screaming.

Percy was screaming.

George was wailing like he was dying too.

* * *

Snape was dead, his memories drifting out like smoke.

Smoke trapped in a bottle, waiting to be released and revealed.

The last of a man that loved someone so much.

Always.

* * *

Harry knew what had to be done.

A lamb sent to the slaughter indeed.

* * *

He passed the girl. On his way to his death. The girl with red hair.

And the boy. The boy who was the same as him.

On his way to death,

* * *

"I am going to die" whispered to a cold, golden ball that opened to reveal a stone.

A stone that was turned three times.

A stone that revealed the boy's parents, godfather, a man seen as an uncle and his wife who left behind a baby boy.

A baby orphan boy who didn't have any parents either. A baby orphan boy who would have a loving Godfather and a grandmother. A baby orphan boy who would grow up happy.

"Does it hurt? Dying?" he asked, a child's question.

"Quicker and easier than falling asleep," a comforting adult answer.

"You'll stay with me?" again, the child's question.

"Until the very end," a comforting adult answer

* * *

A green light and then a white room.

* * *

Far away, though not very far, three people felt the passing of a scrawny, black-haired, bespectacled, wizard. The red-haired boy and girl, and the brown haired girl, who felt empty, suddenly.

And even more empty when the enemy emerged, with the scrawny, black-haired, bespectacled, wizard cradled in the arms of the man who delivered him to his second home, and introduced him to a world he never imagined.

Harry Potter was dead.

And then he wasn't.

* * *

Chaos as the snake was beheaded, and the boy who was dead was alive again, and a mother went into battle to protect her child, and a boy with a camera was killed, and the boy that was dead but alive again faced the creature that wasn't a man.

And the boy-who-lived won.

* * *

There were deaths and funerals, but the sky's were light, and Muggles were subjected, sixteen years later to yet again men and women in long dresses with sticks waving in the air, and owls flying in the day, and fireworks spelling out words such as 'POO.' And only a few children found out what happened when they went to a magical school.

* * *

Years later, a boy made his first trip to a magical school, and he was worried that he would be in a place where bad people had once come from, but his father took him aside and explained that good people can grow from bad places. And the boy was happy and left for his new life as the wizard son of Harry and Ginny Potter, with his cousin, the daughter of Ron and Hermione Weasley.

And he never knew that he might have been the son of Harry and Hermione Potter, because that was what could have been.

 _Finis_

* * *

 **May have been a bit disappointing, but sorry, that's how it rolled out onto the page. Hope you liked it, let me know what you thought?**

 **~Creelluka**


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